Wire-twisting tool



M. N. KEELER WIRE TWISTING TOOL June 11, 1929.

Filed Jan. 9, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet June 11, 1929. KEELER 1,717,041

WIRE TWISTING TOOL Filed Jan. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES,

FlCE.

MAX N. KEELER, OF OHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-TWISTING TOOL.

Application filed January The present invention has to do with wire twisting tools of the type adapted for use 1n tensioning the tie wires in concrete forms.

The principal object of the invention 1s 5 to provide an improved tool of the type described which may be manipulated easily m a confined space by an operator standing at a substantial distance therefrom.

Another important object is to provide such 1 a tool which is extremely light, compact and durable in construction, may be manufactured at a very low cost, and is capable of twisting two or more crossed strands of a tie wire together in a highly efficient manner.

Other objects and advantages not specifically referred to herein will be evident upon a full comprehension of the nature of the tool.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, one preferred embodiment of the same is presented in the accompanying drawings and following description. The invention is susceptible, however, of embodiment in variously modified forms coming equally within the scope of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of a tool constructed in accordance with the invention;

, Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken 011 the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is another transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through a typical concrete form, showing the manner in which the tool may be used in reaching to and operating upon therather. inaccessible tie wires inside of the form;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5'5 of Fig. 4, showing the tool positioned in operative relation to a tie wire before the twisting operation; and

Fig. 6 is another horizontal section takcn on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, showing a tie wire which has been twisted by the tool.

In the construction of temporary forms into which concrete is to be poured, it is customary to erect two spaced wall members, each of which consists of a number of horizontally extending boards 10 which are arranged in edge to edge relation and are sccured together by being fastened to a number of vertically extending timbers 11. The wall members thus produced are spaced apart the desired distance by struts 12, and are held against the ends of the struts 12 by tie wires 13 which extend about opposite posts 11 and 9, 1926. Serial No. 80,163.

are preferably crossed at the center of the form.- The two crossed strands of each of the wires are twisted together at the point where they cross, in order to hold the sides of the forms together under suflicient tension to prevent relative spreading when the concrete is poured into the space between the same.

Owing to the fact that the concrete forms which are most generally employed are rather narrow in width, it is very inconvenient for a person to get inside of a completed form for the purpose of twisting the tie wires, and, as a result, it has been necessary to build up a form piece upon piece, and twist each of the wires as it is put in, instead of proceeding in the obviously more simple and advantageous way of first completely assembling each of the two side members of the form when fiat on the ground and then bringing them together against the spacing struts and applying the wires.

The wire twisting tool of the invention is especially designed for use in tensioning the tie wires in concrete forms after the wall members of such forms have been first con structed as separate units and then moved into the positions which they are intended to occupy. The tool may be operated to twist a wire quickly and accurately while the operator is standing at a substantial distance above or to one side of the wire.

The tool is operated through a rod 14, which is preferably squared and tapered at its upper end 15 as shown in Fig. 1 for engagement by a suitable chuck 16 of a turning brace 17. If it is necessary that the tool be operated at a greater distance from the brace than the length of the rod 14 will permit, the rod may be detached from the tool by first removing a cotter pin 18 and then withdrawing the lower squared end 19 of the rod from a squared socket member 20, and replaced by a longer rod 21 which has upper and lower end portions similar to those on the rod 14.

The socket member 20 of the tool is secured in coaxial relation to a small beveled pinion 22 by means of a transfixing wedge pin 23 which passes through aligned apertures in both the socket member and a contained boss 24 on the upper face of the pinion. The lower face of the pinion 22 is provided with a downwardly extending boss 25 upon which a ringshaped bracket 26 is journalled. A washer 27 fits against the lower faces of the boss 25 and the bracket 26, and is held in such position by a screw 28. The ring or bracket 26 is provided at one side thereof with a downwardly extending perpendicularly connected ring 29 which is interrupted at its lowermost point by arather wide slot 30. A second and larger beveled pinion 31 meshes in a downwardly extending portion with the pinion 22, and is journalled on the ring 29, the pinion being provided with an annular groove for that purpose, and the ring 29 being seated in such groove substantially fiush with the adjacent face of the pinion. As will be observed,'the bracket 26 is positioned in the corner formed between the opposed faces of the pinions 22 and 31.

The pinion 31 is radially slotted from its periphery to a point beyond its center, to provide a suitable opening therethrough for reception of the crossed strands ofwire to be twisted, and the slot 33 is preferably of X- shaped cross section, as shown in Fig. 3, so that it will fit easily yet closely over the crossed strands of Wire even when the latter are crossed at asubstantial angle to each other.

The ring 29 and the pinion 31 are held against axial separation by means of a strap 34 which is secured at its ends to the ring by screws '35 and extends diametrically about the pinion 31, bearing rotatably against the back of the latter at 36. The strap 34 is also slotted widely at 37 from its lower edge to a point above its center, so as not to interfere with the twisting of the strands of wire in the slot of the pinion 31.

The head of the tool is held against turning during the twisting operation by means of a finger 38 which is secured to and projects downwardly from the bracket26 at a point spaced a substantial distance away from and to one side of the slot 33 in the pinion 31. The lower end of the finger 38 is preferably curved further away from theslot to provide what is in effect a throat for guiding the tool when it is being positioned upon the crossed strand of a wire.

The pinion 31 is provided with means for indicating, from a direction axially of the rod 14, that point in the rotation of the pinion when the slot 33 is in a downwardly extending position, andsuch means preferably consists of two studs 39 which are set into the periphery of the pinion 31 at points diametrically opposite the slottherein and are made of metals or in colors which contrast conspicuously with the surrounding surface of the pinion. When the pinion 31 moves into a position wherein the studs 39 are directly opposite the pinion 22, the wire twisting slot 33 in the pinion 31 will be in its downwardly extending position ready for engagement with or disengagement from a wire.

In operation, the tool is ordinarily lowered from above into the narrow interior of a concrete form. If the wire twisting slot 33 in the pinion 31 is not already in its downwardly extending position as shown by the indicia 39 on the tool, the tool may be moved into a position with one side of the head of the same against thetie wire, whereby to hold the head against rotation, and the rod 14: may then be turned by the brace until the indicia 39 indicates the desired position of the slot The tool is then lowered onto the wire with the pinion 31 centered over the crossed strands of the same, and the guide finger 38 positioned against the outer side of one of the strands.

The tool is then operated by rotating the rod 14 with the brace 17, the head of the tool being held from turning through the engagement of the guide finger with one of the strands of wire at a point spaced a substantial distance away from the twisting pinion 31. When the wire has been twisted enough to give the desired tension, the rotation of the rod 1% is discontinued at a point wherein the indicia 39 shows the wire twisting slot to be in a downwardly extending position, whereupon the tool may be lifted upwardly out of engagement with the twisted wire.

While the tool is especially designed for use in the construction of concrete forms, it is susceptible of a much wider range of use, as it is capable of twisting wire in a highly eflicient manner for a great many different purposes. 7

I claim:

1. In a wire twisting tool, an'operating pinion, a radially slotted wire twisting pinion meshed with the operating pinion in perpendicular relation thereto and having an annular bearing shoulder on the face thereof toward the operating pinion, and a bracket j ournalled on the lower end of the operating pinion and provided at one side with a perpendicularly extending ring journalled on the shoulder of the twisting pinion and having an interruption in the far side thereof for alignment at times with the slot in the twisting pinion.

2-. In a wire twisting tool, an operating pinion, a radially slotted wire twisting pinion meshed with the operating pinion in perpendicular relation thereto, and two perpendicularly connected rings each of which has a journalling connection with one of the pinions. 7

3. In a wire twisting tool, an operating pinion, a radially slotted wire twisting pinion meshed with the operating pinion in perpendicular relation thereto, a bracket positioned in the corner between the opposed faces of the pinions for journalling the pinions in proper relation to each other, and a member extending from the bracket in spaced relation to the face of the twisting pinion and at one side of the slot therein for abutment with the wire to prevent tilting of the twisting pinion in operation.

4. In a wire. twisting tool, an operating pinion, a radially slotted wire twisting pinion meshed with the operating pinion in perpendicular relation thereto and having an annular groove in the face thereof toward the operating pinion, and a bracket journalled on the lower end of the operating pinion and provided at one side with a perpendicularly extending ring seated substantially flush in the groove in the twisting pinion and having an interruption in the far side thereof for alignment at times with the slot in the twisting pinion.

5. In a wire twisting tool, an operating pinion, a radially slotted wire twisting pinion meshed with the operating pinion in perpendicular relation thereto, a bracket positioned in the corner between the opposed faces of the pinions for holding the pinions in proper. relation to each other, and a strap secured at its ends to opposite portions of the bracket and extending diametrically about the twisting pinion in rotatable engagement with the rear face of the same.

6. In a wire twisting tool, an operating pinion, a radially slotted wire twisting pinion meshed with the operating pinion in perpendicular relation thereto, a bracket having a journalling connection with the operating pinion and provided atone side of such connection with a ring having a ournalling connection with the twisting pinion, and a strap secured at its ends to opposite sides of the rmg and extending diametrically about the twisting pinion in rotatable engagement with the rear face of the same.

7 In a wire twisting tool, an operating pinion, a radially slotted wire twisting pinion meshed with the operating pinion in perpendicular relation thereto, and means on one of said pinions visible from a direction axially of the operating pinion for indicating a predetermined position of the slot in the twisting PlIllOIl. V

8. In a wire twisting tool, an operating pinion, a radially slotted wire twisting pinion meshed with the operating pinion in perpendicular relation thereto, and marks adjacent the periphery of one of the pinions visible from a direction axially of the Operating pinion for indicating a predetermined position of the slot in the twisting pinion when such marks are opposite the periphery of the other pinion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

MAX N. KEELER. 

